


I move by touch

by phalangine



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Get Together, Multi, baths
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 18:33:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11697462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phalangine/pseuds/phalangine
Summary: Leonard wakes up feeling warm. Not the not-cold and not-hot of a starship but actively warm. It's comfortable and nice, and he fully blames it for why it takes him so long to realize he isn't alone.





	I move by touch

**Author's Note:**

> title from muriel rukeyser

**1.**

Leonard wakes up feeling warm. Not the not-cold and not-hot of a starship but actively warm. It's comfortable and nice, and he fully blames it for why it takes him so long to realize he isn't alone.

The bed shakes, and a familiar voice asks, "Is he awake?"

He is indeed, his eyes flying open as a second, also familiar voice replies, "I believe he is."

He finds himself looking up at Uhura. Uhura who's dressed only in an oversized shirt and lacy underwear. Uhura who's looking down at him, her eyebrow quirked in a way that's eerily reminiscent of a certain commander.

Leonard rockets upright. His head spins, but he has to check. He has to know if he climbed into bed with Uhura alone or if that voice really belonged to-

"Spock."

On his other side, Spock tilts his head. He's sitting up, propped up on one elbow, and eyeing Leonard from beneath his lashes. He's shirtless.

So is Leonard.

Leonard swallows hard. "What happened?"

Uhura snorts. "We thought everyone had left, so we got ready for bed. Not five minutes later, you come in, dressed only in your underwear, and climb into bed with us."

Face burning, Leonard looks down at his hands.

Spock shifts beside him.

"I'm sorry," Leonard tells his hands. "I'll just be going-" He makes to leave, only for Spock to grab his arm.

"Your clothes are missing, Leonard," comes the gentle rebuke. "Allow me." And with that, the hand disappears and Spock swings his legs out of bed.

Leonard doesn't watch him go.

The mattress dips as Uhura sits down beside him. "If we hadn't wanted you here, we wouldn't have let you stay, you know," she says idly. "I mean, your coming here was a surprise, but that doesn't make it unwelcome. Quite the opposite."

"I already apologized-"

"Well, I don't accept."

Leonard looks up sharply, only to find Uhura looking at him softly. She's fiddling with the ends of her hair, twirling them around her finger.

"This isn't the first time you've overindulged, and I doubt it will be the last."

Leonard shrugs. "I like a good party."

"You like not being in your head, you mean," Uhura corrects. "You think I can't see what you're doing? You're pining, McCoy. I don't think you were designed to be on your own."

Bristling, Leonard opens his mouth to dispute that, only to be cut off by Spock's return.

Spock is only wearing a loose pair of boxers, the waistband riding dangerously low on his hips. He's got Leonard's pants and undershirt in his arms.

Leonard swallows hard as he accepts his clothes. "Thanks."

Spock inclines his head, then walks over to Uhura. He pauses there, his features smoothing into an emotionless mask. "You are leaving, then?" he asks impassively.

"Of course I'm leaving," Leonard snaps. "What else would I do?"

"You could stay," Uhura says. She says it plainly, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. As if Leonard should have thought of it himself.

As if Leonard hasn't been dying to do it.

"No," he says after a beat. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"I don't do this."

"And what is this, exactly?"

Leonard grits his teeth. "Casual."

Uhura frowns, but it's Spock who asks, "What gave you the impression that Uhura and I desired 'casual' from you?" He steps up to the bed, tall and lean and suddenly commanding. "We do not wish for an experience, Leonard. You would become a permanent part of the relationship."

Uhura steps up beside him. "For the record, that's what we want." She shoots Spock a look. "We've wanted you for a while, Leonard. This isn't impulsive."

Leonard looks up at them and feels, for the first time in a long time, something like hope.

  
  


**2.**

Nyota has always been the type to go after what she wants. It took a long, hard discussion with Spock to convince her of the wisdom of letting Leonard get comfortable around them gradually. Of letting him come to them on his own without even knowing he was doing that.

And he did. He came to their parties. He slept on their couch and left in the morning looking perfect and rumpled, and Nyota took Spock to bed more than once because of it- not that he wasn't just as enthusiastic. She hasn't seen him so intrigued by someone before.

He isn't much for fighting- too much a proper Vulcan for that- but he bickers for hours at a time with Leonard. And he comes away bouncing on his toes, ready for more.

Somehow, they're both getting what they want today.

The bath was Spock's idea, a way of getting accustomed to each other quickly and helping Leonard with his hangover.

Nyota watches Spock get into their big claw foot tub openly. He feels like a part of her, he's so familiar.

She debates looking away when Leonard cautiously strips down but ultimately decides against it.

Leonard has a good body- he's slightly shorter and stockier than Spock is. He's a touch softer from being CMO rather than an officer who goes out and runs around on every mission. She wants to touch him but keeps her hands to herself. He's still skittish, only the part of his nature that keeps him from backing down propelling him into the water.

He sits down with his back to Spock and a wary look on his face- one that rapidly changes to embarrassment as she slips out of her clothes. He looks away studiously, and her heart melts a little.

She's a practical woman, but there's something about Leonard's old world charm that makes her weak.

The water is still hot as she steps in, and she doesn't fight a sigh of relief as she sinks down. Leonard is stiff behind her, but he'll relax. Eventually.

"Feels good," she says softly.

"It does indeed," Spock agrees, a touch too quickly. Nyota can practically feel him vibrating with the desire to touch Leonard.

Someone ought to, she reasons.

So she does. Nyota finds his hands and threads her fingers through his, then brings both forward to rest on her belly.

His hands are broad and soft, a feature she remarks on.

"Surgeons used to need to keep their hands in prime condition," Leonard says, his words slightly stilted. "I suppose my family just never shook the habit."

"I like it." She leans harder against him, pressing her back against his chest and letting her head loll back onto his shoulder. "I like your soft hands."

She hears him swallow.

"That's... good to know."

"It is, isn't it?" she asks, rubbing her thumbs over his knuckles. She wants to push, but Spock's words ring in her head.

_ Let him come to us. _

She can wait. If it will increase their chances of keeping Leonard, Nyota can bite her tongue and concentrate on the gentle rise and fall of Leonard's chest. It's an easy rhythm, one she's certain she can get used to, and between it and the heat, she slowly drifts off.

  
  


**3.**

Spock watches Nyota and Leonard sleep. It's only eleven AM, but after the bath, both of his humans were yawning and soft-eyed.

Thinking of Leonard as his- as theirs- sends a shiver through Spock. He and Nyota have long thought the doctor would make a good addition to their relationship. Leonard is brash and argumentative, the perfect balance to Spock's reticence and Nyota's tendency to shoulder all the weight.

He is also attractive- any logical assessment of him that did not take into account Leonard's expressive features and sturdy frame would be lacking. Spock has yet to work up the nerve to say so, even to throw Leonard off, but he can almost feel the possibility of doing so growing.

He is on the outside of their arrangement on the bed, making him the big spoon. Leonard is in the middle, his backside pressed against Spock's pelvis, and Nyota is the little spoon. She has one of Leonard's hands clasped in hers.

Spock's hands are both on Nyota, one on her shoulder and one on her hip. The placement serves the dual purpose of grounding him and keeping Leonard where he is.

If the doctor wants to leave, he is free to do so, but Spock has a sneaking feeling that Leonard might like the idea of being kept. He has reacted uncharacteristically when cornered in the past; instead of pushing Spock away or getting angry, he grew quiet and wide-eyed, almost hopeful. But he wasn't ready. He had to come to them on his own.

Admittedly, Spock hadn't expected him to get drunk and jump into bed with them, but perhaps he should have. Leonard has a habit of leaning on "liquid courage".

They will have to talk about that.

But for now, Spock is content just being close to him. Leonard is wearing a pair of Spock's sweatpants and one of Nyota's oversized- on her- sleep shirts. He smells like Nyota's favorite bubble bath.

Spock isn't tired, but he feels a strange sort of sleepiness overtake him as he wriggles minutely closer. It's a pleasant feeling, one he embraces happily.

He knows it won't last long; serenity is fleeting when Leonard is around. He finds he doesn't mind losing this peaceful feeling if the replacement will be Leonard being himself: loud and brusque and unrepentant.

Spock can't wait.

 


End file.
